Author’s Note: This is my final year project that I directed, designed and produced. Built using the Source engine (Half-Life 2: Episode 2). The game features professional voice actors and a fun, strange story. Features great action and challenging puzzles. “A new cult has started in a small town, offering to take its recruits to a new planet for a greater life. At the local Police Station new recruits Sam and Larry have been tasked with investigating. Once in they discover some strange experiments but must use this technology to get to its leader and arrest him!”

• Title: Alan’s Mod
• File Name: hl2-sp-alans-mod.rar
• Size : 20.30Mb
• Author: Matthew Baxter
• Date Released: 11 May 2008

• Copy the Alans folder into your SourceMods folder.
• Restart or start Steam.
• Alan’s Mod should now be listed in your Games tab.
• Launch as you would other games.

Alans Video SD from Matthew Baxter on Vimeo.

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

I have this idea I want to share with you. One of the important aspects of mods is the new content. New content can make such a difference to how a mod is perceived. It would be quite interesting to have two groups of players who play the same mod, except that one mod has new content and the other standard HL2 assets.

Anyway, with my interest in voice acting I thought it would be cool to collaborate with somebody to re-record some of the voices from Half-Life 2, Ep1 and Ep2.

Now, I need to be clear here. I am only talking about re-recording some of the voices. Not the main characters, but the support rebels etc. Although it might be fun to re-record the other voices, if people like Fake Factory can do it for the textures and music, why not the voices?

My idea was to record a variety of alternatives for simple sentences. So, when a rebel says “Hey, Freeman, take some ammo” We could record 3 or 4 similar alternatives.

The recordings would then be available for anybody and everybody to use in their maps and mods.

I would even like to record a separate collection of slightly less serious ones. For example instead of “Hey, Freeman, take some ammo”, we could try try “Hey, Orange Suit, take this, at the rate you miss you’re gonna need it!”

I have to be honest and say I don’t know how feasible the idea is because I am sure there will be some technical issues and I’m sure some lip-sync issues but really how important is lip snyc on this kind of NPC and script?

Would anybody like to work with me on this? I could dedicate a weekend to recording everything and passing it on to somebody who could package properly for mods. Maybe some of voices actors would like to join in? We could create a library of re-recordings for mods to use.

A short but intense beta map of a warehouse on a cliffside. It was supposed to be part of something larger but it seems that something was never released.

• Title: Cliffside Assualt: Warehouse
• File Name: hl1-sp-cliffside-assualt-warehouse.rar
• Size : 1.04Mb
• Author: Horned King
• Date Released: 15 February 2005

• Copy warehousebuildmap.bsp into your Half-Life 2/Maps folder.
• Copy warehousebuildmap.nav into your Half-Life 2/Maps/graphs folder.
• Launch Half-Life 2
• Open the console and type map warehousebuildmap.
• Press return/enter and play

Note: I wasn’t sure where to put the .nav file and I tried the graphs folder and the map seem to work perfectly for me.

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

So, as I mentioned in the intro, I have just finished playing most of a beta for City 17 Episode 1.

Now, as with all betas, there are a few areas that need improvement but the version I played is the latest version and also about 80% finished. With this amount finished it’s clear to see where the developers are aiming for in terms of quality and gameplay style and also to see whether there are close to achieving that.

I just want to say one thing before I continue…This is without doubt one of the best mods I have ever played, even in its unfinished state. I stopped because I was enjoying it so much. I hate playing mods twice and decided that as much as I wanted to continue I shouldn’t because then I would have trouble playing the finished version.

Now, regular readers should know that I NEVER replay mods, never. It’s not because I hated them, it’s because I just don’t enjoy doing it. Therefore please understand that stopping playing the mod is a compliment, not an insult. If I wasn’t loving playing I would have simply finished and saved myself the trouble of playing it when it is finally released.

The start is both dramatic and challenging which is nice to see instead of the usual simple room fade in. All the environments are very detailed both architecturally and gameplay wise. In fact the style of levels I played are exactly the types of levels I enjoy.

There was no custom voice acting included in the beta I played but I am told this will be added soon Other new elements will including a new HUD and some animation I believe.

I really wanted to include some panoramic shots and perhaps even a short movie of the gameplay but I don’t want to give too much away.

You find yourself in the ruins of City 17, obviously, and this provides plenty of cover but also some unexpected surprises regarding the location of the Combine. The lighting is almost perfect with areas neither too bright nor too dark.

I only encountered one puzzle but it fit perfectly with the setting and rather than seeming like an after thought, as so many puzzles are, it was a natural inclusion.

Gameplay was balance between frantic and controlled, and I never felt it was too easy or too hard. A couple of times the enemy just looked at me but to be honest I quite enjoy walking up to them and sending them to a heaven of their choice.

At each level change I kept saying, “Okay, stop now before you spoil it for yourself” and each time I replied “Just a bit more”.

Once this is released (And before you ask, no I don’t know exactly when it will be released) players will be in for a very pleasant surprise. (Well maybe not now that I have told you how good it is!) Mods like this come along once or twice a year and with Strider Mountain and Combine Destiny 2 due soon we could be in for a great early summer.

The only decision you’ll have to make is which to play first!

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

I was surprised by the voting last week and could be again this week.

Is the Gman good or evil?

I Like Him

Let’s be honest, without the Gman things might not be so interesting within the Half-Life universe. Perhaps we only see the side that makes him seem bad. Perhaps he keeps kittens in his apartment and presses flowers. Or he could be a bit naughty and eat kittens in his apartment and burns flowers instead of candles. Either way, he is here to stay. Or is he?

There have been plenty of theories published about him and now it’s your chance to decide once and for all.

The Poll

Find your way through a mysterious, abandoned mansion filled with zombies. Survival won’t be easy…

• Title: Abandoned Manor
• File Name: hl2-sp-abandoned-manor.rar
• Size : 654.34Kb
• Author: Gualtiero F
• Date Released: Unknown

• Copy the gf_abandoned_manor.bsp file into your Half-Life 2 maps folder.
• Launch Half-Life 2.
• Open the console and type map gf_abandoned_manor.
• Press return/enter and play.

• - Opis w jezyku polskim dostepny na Grinder74.com

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

Rebel Runners

I have decide to publish an idea I have been playing with on and off for a while but now realize I have little chance of completing.

I have done this in the hope that somebody with the required skills and motivation will choose to work on it.

I have little doubt that there are some technical challenges that need to be solved before it can be completed but those challenges are not insurmountable.

Overview

I started with the premise that it can be hard for mod makers to create mods that told stories because finding voice actors can be difficult. Of course there are other ways of telling stories rather than voice actors but in general it’s the best way.

The simplest solution would be to find voice actors and offer their services and that’s exactly what The Turbine Collective hopes to do. But I wanted something more than just a list of voice actors, I wanted something integral to Half-Life itself. Something with its own story and even its own mini-mod.

I kept thinking about solutions and eventually created the concept below.

Background Story

Colonel Babbage is a veteran of the Seven Hour War. He has seen first hand the destruction the Combine can reek. All of his friends and family have been killed or taken away for questioning, never to be seen again.

As a rebel he has also seen how communication between various rebel groups is of vital importance. Radio and other forms of electronic communication have been intercepted too many times and the Rebel Command charged him with finding alternative solutions.

Various attempts were made to pass messages between groups but most failed, until one day an idea popped into his head.

Why not try verbal messages delivered in person?

A swift, agile and lightly armed rebel could be warped into the approximate region and the runner could then do the rest. The messages would of course be encrypted, with only a few people knowing the encryption. The encryption was actually quite simple but because the Combine were always looking for sophisticated methods the encryption alluded them.

A few trials and the method proved more successful than every method tested so far. The only problem was the accuracy of the portals. Runners often found themselves quite a way awya from the intended zone and had to cross dangerous territory to reach the destination.

Portals had of course been tried before but the Combine had somehow developed the ability to listen in on the transmissions. That’s why a simpler method was needed.

The Colonel was given authority to set up a base hundreds of miles from any Combine Facility and for a time even considered using Black Mesa but decided against it. Eventually a small coastal fishing village was chosen and the required equipment installed at great personal cost to the rebels.

From his base Colonel Babbage commands a small group of technicians and a group of volunteer runners. Who take chances with their lives many times per day.

Volunteers are getting fewer and fewer and hopefully the arrival of this Freeman character can make a difference. He seems to have done a lot of damage already and taken the heat of his runners. The Combine had to focus their efforts on neutralizing him as quickly as possible.

Actual Use

The idea was to find a small group of dedicated voice actors who would record various scripts requested by mod makers. During their mod a rebel runner could appear and pass on information to the player. This runner would then exit the scene and disappear.

Now, because I wanted to add a little humour I decided that the portals should be too accurate. It fitted with the general feeling that using portals in Half-Life 2 was never really controlled. This would allow the runners to appear in strange situations without seeming too contrived. It would also allow the runner to have a small collection of funny lines, that would be mod specific.

In fact mod makers could use the runners even if they didn’t have specific information to give.

In Depth

I hoped that custom rebels could have been made, along with a new texture for the rebel suit. Almost like a tracksuit. I even dreamt that custom animations could have been made to allow the runners to run and jump in a more natural way. These rebels only carry a pistol because their primary role is get in and get out. They are not supposed to stop and fight, just pass messages on.

Each voice actor would have their own character who could be developed slowly. Perhaps adding personal information occasionally. Stuff like, “Hey Freeman. Have you seen my brother? Short Brown hair, about so high, smiles a lot - dumb ass? He is supposed to be around here. Anyway, if you see him say Jack said good luck, and remind him he owes me money. Thanks”

Playable Level

I even planned a detailed mini-mod that would allow Freeman to encounter the Rebel Runners and visit the base. This would allow me to explain to players who the runners were and why they started to appear. I feel that this is quite important because otherwise a player might be a little confused.

Conclusion

Anyway, there you have it, 90% of the idea. I still have the details of the level if anybody expresses a serious interest in taking this project idea on.

Hopefully The Turbine Collective will become successful but I would still definitely like to see Rebel Runners made.

The Turbine Collective is an attempt to bring together small groups of dedicated people whose objective is to improve the quality of single player mods by offering access to services that can be difficult to find.

The services are free and given voluntarily by the members of the respective group.

Currently Beta Testing and Voice Acting are available. At some point in the future I would like to get a small group of modders together to build a special mod project but there is no hurry for that.

Basically the site is a contact list for people offering certain services. Modders contact each person directly (With maybe a courtesy copy to Phillip) and everything is managed that way - directly with the person.

The Beta Testing group has strict controls on who can be testers, whereas the Voice Acting group is open to anybody who submits the required details.

Please visit the site to find out more: The Turbine Collective

As I was writing something for the Learning Center project an idea popped into my head…

A player always feels that they are required to solve a problem. For example we see a group of rebels in a firefight with Metrocops, how many of us just continue on our way and leave them to it? Probably very few, especially if we have to pass by them. A few times I have just run past situations like this, mainly because I was low on health or ammo, but there could have been other reasons.

Now the reasons should be clear, level designers create situations to engage the player. Why have a situation that requires no involvement unless it’s purely for show or to help tell the story? Well, I’d like to challenge that idea.

I remember being on a management course where 10 people were blindfolded and given a long piece of rope. The tasks set was to form a square using all the rope. After what seemed like hours somebody told 4 people to remove their blindfolds and stand to one side out of the way. There were now 6 people, one for each corner plus 2 to measure and control.

The purpose of the exercise? To teach you that sometimes being part of a team means getting out of the way and letting other people do their jobs with no interference.

Now, imagine a level where the player encounters a town square. The player could easily bypass the square and continue on their way. However, just before the player arrives a minor firefight starts between Rebels and Combine Soldiers. As the player approaches a Rebel shouts “Hey Freeman, gives us a hand!”

As the player becomes involved in the firefight more Combine soldiers arrive and the fight becomes bigger. Perhaps even more rebels arrive and the whole situation turns into a major situation.

The player could turn and run but he now has incurred the wrath of the Combine and is hunted down and killed. Hopefully the player thinks the best option is to get involved in the fight sooner and kill all the Combine.

However, the player’s involvement triggers a response from the Combine that always causes the player to be killed. The solution to the puzzle or problem is to politely decline and continue on your way.

It could open up some interesting story telling options later in the game/mod. Perhaps Rebels don’t come to your help when you need them or they don’t give you ammo.

I would hope that on a superficial level it causes the player to do the opposite of their initial reaction, on a deeper level allows the mod maker to put the player in some difficult moral situations.

What do you think?

I managed to steal a few minutes to ask the Strider Mountain Team a few questions.

Could you start by introducing yourselves and explaining a little about your roles within the team and perhaps tell us about some of your previous released work.
Sure. I’m Peter (Baltic Forever) and I was the Project Lead for the Strider Mountain mod.
It was my job to oversee the making of the mod from start to finish. My tasks included setting up meetings with the rest of my team, deciding on game content.

My name is Leon Brinkmann (SPY or also known as SPY-maps) and am 43 years old, and I live in the Netherlands, Europe. About 7 years ago I started to play pc games, and was immediately very enthusiastic. All my life I am very creative, if I may say so myself, and I always liked to make cartoon books and some small 8 mm animation movies.

Around the ‘80 I wanted to become a professional comic book maker, there where 3 books published of mine, but already then I knew that although it was a great job I wouldn’t make much money out of it (one of the worst paidd jobs). So I became a professional freelance illustrator, and that’s how I earn my livings the last 20 years or so.

When I played Duke Nukem for the first time I knew that this was what I wanted to do, to make sp-maps. I made around 70 sp-maps with Duke Nukem, of which I lost most of, and after that I started to make sp-maps with Shadow Warrior and Napalm. But these 3 games where made with the Building engine, what couldn’t give a real 3d impression.

Then came Medal of Honor, and I was so impressed that I started to learn mapping with that. From there I went on to Quake2, and Unreal Tournament’02. Then Soldiers of Fortune2 was released and specially the option of dismember players in it (you could shoot a arm, head or legs of, haha) made me want to map with that game. It was then that I met Baltic.Forever in some mapping forum, this will be around 2003 I believe, and from there we have worked closely together on many projects.

Always sp, personally I don’t like mp gaming. Baltic has already given a list of the sp-mappacks/mod that we made, so I will not name them again, but they can all be downloaded from Baltic sites and other mirror. The last 2 years, after the release of our huge 15 sp-maps HL2 mod, called Coastline to Atmosphere we decided to not make any more maps with HL2.

The game is great, but after 19 sp-maps I had worked with every texture, sound, model etc so many times, that I started to get sick a bit of working on with it. Baltic started to work on his site and I made in the mean time 2 Prey sp-maps, 2 Fear sp-maps, (of which one is lost due to window problems) and 1 Call of Duty2 sp-map. Of course could I always ask Baltic for help with these last few maps, what I did many times. He is like my personal mapping trouble shooter.

Hey PlanetPhillip readers, my name is Dennis aka cubedude89, I’m lead modeler for Strider Mountain. Other small things I do include: face poser, VGUI, and being the biggest double poster on our dev forum. I’ve previously released HyperCube: Source and Jail Escape.

Hello I’m TB Biggs, the Marketing/Website Developer. In addition to the core team here, we also worked with a very talented composer for original music named David Mason.

How exactly did the team come about and what gave you the idea of starting a new mod?
Cube: Wow its been 15 months now, its hard to remember. I knew that I wanted to work with Leon and Baltic! TB Biggs became the sugar on top of that recipe.

Spy: I was looking around for a new game to map with, I hoped that Crysis would be released sooner, but it will not be released before July ‘07 in Europe, so I needed a game to map with in the mean time. Then we decided to make one more small HL2 mod, TB B and Cubedude already visited sp-mods.com for a while and we all had the same idea, a group project with a new sp-mod. that’s how it started.

Baltic: I believe that you (Phillip) gave us the original idea of starting a new mod. You and TB Biggs discussed a possible storyline which we liked, and things just went from there.

As for how the team came about. Well we decided that this mod needed something different which meant we needed a modeller. I posted a job application on sp-mods.com, and Cudedude89 was the first to reply. After doing a quick background check on him, I realised he was the right person for the job. TB Biggs was in Marketing, so I gave him the job of Marketing and PR for the mod.

TBBiggs: We wanted to combine our skills and learn to work as a mod team. I’ve explained this more below.
It’s important for PP readers to know that you (Phillip) had a lot to do with the original storyline. The team submitted multiple storylines and ideas. In the end, we voted on the StriderMountain concept because it had some different ways we could take the player on a fun journey.

What made you choose the Source engine? Did you consider the CryEngine2?
Spy: It was like I said above, we knew exactly through previous projects how the HL2/hammer editor worked, so it was easy for us to make one good mod again with it. For sure that I/we will start modding with the CryEngine2 as soon as it is released

Cube: We couldn’t wait for the CryEngine2 to be released at the time, so we just went with Source. We wanted to be done with SM by the time Crysis was released.

TBBiggs: What was originally going to 3-4 maps has now become an 11 map mod. It’s just a lot of fun working together as a team and playing HL2: Deathmatchs against each other on the weekends!! Cube and Baltic whoop Leon and I!

Tell me a little about your visions for the gameplay?
StriderMountain is all about the journey and the need to locate the source of the Striders. Interestingly, if you look at our almost 90+ screenshots on our website, there is not 1 screen with a Strider in it. Hmmm.

Spy: Personally I like heavy firefight scenes, the heavier the better. but there where some people who complained about how hard CtoA was, so we decided to keep it a bit down in this new mod, but not to much, you still need to fight for your live.

There was some comments about CtoA being quite hardcore. Will SM be similar in this regard?
A million combine here. a million combine there…who calls that hardcore. Actually, Spy has addressed the reason for the difficulty in CtoA. StriderMountain game play will play true to the level a player chooses.

Baltic: We (SPY and I) have a trademark, which is hard core gaming. But this mod is a bit toned down from our previous work. But don’t think that this is going to be a stroll in the park. Because you will be in for a surprise.

What can you reveal about the story? Specifically is it linked to the gameplay?
Look two questions up for the answer.

There’s little doubt that Leon is a prodigious mapper. Have any non-released maps been included in the mod?
Yes, Leon is a prodigious mapper. No non-released maps have been included. But we have some interesting developer videos; for example, a video of Leon talking his way through a map in Hammer and we see a glimpse of how he goes about doing his art. This and other videos will be available on release of the game.

Spy: No, simply because there are no maps to implement, all the maps that where made by me for HL2 are released. it happens sometimes that I need to delete a part of a map, simply because it doesn’t work well, or doesn’t look good. I never save those parts, just delete them. so, even if I would like to use old maps, it simply is not possible because there aren’t any.

What can you tell me about new content, besides maps, of course. Any new weapons, sounds, textures, vehicles or models planned?
Being that we’ve made multiple HL2 mods, it was important to add some different stuff. Most of the weapons are non-HL2. Our composer is developing some incredible custom music. Almost all non-HL2 textures. I almost included a custom vehicle (long story) and yes lots of new models for the levels.

I see you have designated a specific person for PR and Marketing. That’s unusual for a team so small. What benefits do you think that will bring to the final release?

Baltic: I suppose it is a bit unusual for a small team to have their own professional Marketing personnel. But TB Biggs is also in charge of Marketing and PR for my new website so having him as a valued member of the team is a privilege.
Having him on board should give the mod maximum coverage and he is really good at what he does. You just need to look at the Strider Mountain website to see what I mean.

Cube: Well, he comes over about once a week and cleans my house and takes out the garbage so I can have more time to work on the mod… (I wish haha) No really he is a great help and adds so much to the mod. SM would be very different if TB wasn’t on the team.

TBBiggs: That can be said for all the members. I believe that modding is in a new era. It’s not enough just make a high quality map or mod and put it out and hope for huge download numbers. There’s just way too much good competition in the modding community. Player expectations have and will continue to demand more from mod developers. That being said, I believe that modding needs to be brought to market, much like that of the big game developers (obviously without the same big budget) with a constant flow of new media. In the end, I enjoy my role and working with this incredibly talented team. Oh, and I get to do Cube’s house chores on weekends!

There must be some secrets planned. Any hints you can give us?
Some Easter eggs maybe, mostly as inside jokes from the team. We threw in some funny stuff with the models here and there. The idea is to give the players something fun and perhaps informative after completing the mod.

What games have you been playing during the development of SM and do you think they affected the mod in any way?
We’ve played STALKER, Kane and Lynch, Crysis, Raw Danger, Time Shift, and FEAR expansion pack 1. STALKER has made the most impact to our mod because several of the environmental models were inspired by the game.
Some released mods have given us ideas as well.

Unlike other mods that get announced and then forgotten I’ve no doubt this one will be finished and I almost hate to ask, but do you have a tentative release date?
Yep, Last summer..! Let’s just say the end is in site. We’ll keep PP readers and our website updated with the latest and greatest news.

Do you have many cut scenes planned? Will this be the main story-telling technique?
Spy: Personally I am a real cut scene sucker, I love to make them, and watch them. So, yes, they will be in this new mod also. Most people liked them in CtoA also, just a few people didn’t like them. And they will tell the story indeed, with the help of a voice over.

Yes, Leon and TB love cutscenes for what they do to enhance the stroy. As well as, give the player a break from battle fatigue. There are also some in-game non-cutscene voice acting parts.

It’s perhaps a little early to say, but are they any plans for a sequel?
For the team working on another project, yes. For StriderMountain, no.

Thanks again for you time and is there anything you would like to add?
Baltic: I would just like to thank you for requesting this interview, and I am sure that everyone will enjoy playing Strider Mountain. It’s going to blow your mind.

Spy: I just would like to ask the people to follow the next few weeks out PR campaign and it will all be explained.

We’d like to express our appreciation for the interest in StriderMountain. In the end, we hope players have a great experience as the result of our zillion hours of work.

This is a beta of a Star Wars themed mod that I don’t believe was ever released. If anybody can add any information please contact me and I will update the details

• Title: Star Wars Test mod
• File Name: hl1-sp-star-wars-test-mod.rar
• Size : 10.58Mb
• Author: Unknown
• Date Released: Unknown

• Copy the SWTestmod folder into your Half-Life folder.
• Restart or start Steam.
• Test Mod should now be listed in your Games tab.

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

I have a feeling that the answer to this week’s poll question will be the most one-sided ever. However, I have been wrong before, and I am sure I will be again.

Would you like to hear Gordon Freeman speak in Episode 3?”

Are You Kidding Me?

Personally I can’t believe that Valve will ever d0o this but you never know. I suspect that if they ever did it would be a one word finish. The whole series would finish with his utterance.

I don’t mean that it would fail because he spoke but Valve know for sure when they plan to finish the series and this would be the last act. It might be fund to speculate exactly what he would say.

No Way, Never, Ever, Never!

I see no reason to ever get him to speak do you? What benefit would it bring. Of course there is the publicity it would generate, that in itself might be worth it, although I doubt it.

What about you?

The Poll

“Find your way to the surface - if you can. Wade through zombies and meet up with your squad. Will salvation await you at the top?”

• Title: The Escape
• File Name: hl2-ep1-sp-the-escape.rar
• Size : 493.58Kb
• Author: Patrick O.
• Date Released: Unknown

• Copy po_the_escape.bspg into your Episode 1 Maps folder.
• Launch Half-Life 2: Episode 1
• Open the console and type map po_the_escape
• Press return/enter and play

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

“Do Not Disturb” is an all custom made single player chapter (or mission) spanning two levels. The player once again becomes Gordon Freeman who, along with a group of rebels, is using an abandoned hotel as a hideout and temporary base of operations. The game begins when Gordon is notified that they were found and the hotel is being assaulted by metrocops. The goal is to get away, or more simply put: survive. One special feature of this mission is a part in a park area with stealth gameplay. You can hide and sneak through the bushes and the patrolling combine soldiers will have a hard time finding you.

• Title: Do Not Disturb
• File Name: hl2-ep2-sp-do-not-disturb-beta-01.rar
• Size : 32.42Mb
• Author: Flip Hazard
• Date Released: 23 April 2008

This is a Beta release and as such all comments and ratings should consider that.

Please read the instructions within the readme carefully.

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

You must make your way through different portals solving puzzles and killing anything that gets in your way.

• Title: Obscurity
• File Name: hl2-sp-obscurity.rar
• Size : 10.06Mb
• Author: WildAndJuicy
• Date Released: 23 April 2008

• Copy the Obscurity folder into your SourceMods folder.
• Restart or start Steam.
• Obscurityg should now be listed in your Games tab.

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

I have never played a game or mod twice. I just can’t do it. If I know what’s about to happen then I get bored. However, I know plenty of PP readers replay games and mods. One reader replays all the games every summer! So, this week’s question is…

Which Half-Life series game has the most replay value?

Trying Hard

I have started playing Half-Life 2 again but partly for the new images I post in the header, more or less everyday, and partly because I want to replay it slowly and saviour the experience. I plan to do this with all the episodes as well.

My Answer

Since I have to answer now I would probably say Episode 2. That’s mainly because I think it is the best in the series, although replaying it may not be the same as thinking it’s the best.

What about you?

The Poll

The title should tell you everything you need to know about this short but fairly intense map.

• Title: ZombieX
• File Name: hl2-sp-zombie-x.rar
• Size : 1.13Mb
• Author: _xx_x
• Date Released: 20 April 2008

• Copy Sp_ZombieX.bsp into your Half-Life 2 maps folder.
• Launch Half-Life 2
• Open the console and type map Sp_ZombieX.bsp.
• Press return/Enter and play.

• - Opis w jezyku polskim dostepny na Grinder74.com

Click on the thumbnails below to open a 1024 pixel wide image.
WARNING: The screenshots may contain spoilers.

Get a Life is a FPS Single player action/adventure total-conversion for Half-life 2. You play Alex Zemlinsky, who is trying to learn everything about his mysterious past

• 4 chapters (a total of 20 different maps) offering almost 7 hours of gameplay
• Gripping story about the main character Alex Zemlinsky, who is trying to learn everything about his mysterious past
• 10 different weapons, 3 of them upgradable with modules
• Unique gameplay:
  • Enhanced AI (including squads and advanced combat tactics such as taking cover and fear behavior), developed in cooperation with the E.Y.E. mod team
  • New healing system with several body damage zones and diseases
  • Bullet-time system
  • Survival (fight off waves of enemies coming at you) and sneak passages (making noise just makes it harder)
• Features a variety of enemies, with heights ranging from 2 centimeters to 2 meters, and a “gore and gib” system

• Title: Get A Life
• Size : 700.86Mb
• Author: Get a Life Team
• Date Released: 25 April 2008

• [Primary Server] www.hl2files.com/file/;89532
• [GER] http://www.exp.de/download.php?id=14731
• [FRA] http://www.vossey.com/telechargement/Fi … -i1453.htm
• [CZE] http://hl2.vokr.info/mody/Getalife_final_setup_v1.exe
• [USA] http://www.atomicgamer.com/file.php?id=68915
• [USA] http://www.moddb.com/mods/6032/get-a-li … ersion-v10
• [FRA]